Understanding Your Bill

Avoid Late Fees Checklist

If the student is covered under another medical plan, she may request an opt out from the student health insurance charged by Barnard. Allthough new students for Spring 2017 may visit University Health Plans between November 1, 2016 and January 13, 2017 to start the opt out request, the College encourages them to do so here before the Spring 2017 payment deadline so they will not incur late payment fees. Read the FAQ first.

In order for a student to register without penalty, Barnard’s invoice must be resolved by August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. When charges remain unresolved the College will block registration and reserves the right to revoke move-in privileges.

Late payment fees begin at $75 on August 2 (fall semester) and December 2 (spring semester) and increase by $10 on each subsequent Monday.

There is no grace period. Return the Bursar Worksheet with payment to BURSAR by August 1 (fall semester) or December 1 (spring semester).

TMS payment plan: You must advise TMS of the exact amount to pay to Barnard each term. TMS will not automatically adjust your plan to reflect the actual balance due to Bursar.

Remember to deduct the lender's origination fees from any pending loans you subtract from your invoice.

Changes/updates to your invoice are available at barnard.afford.com or my.barnard.edu (disable pop up blockers to access).

Barnard is not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected mail; allow adequate time for delivery.

Financial Aid

The student's TOTAL GRANT will already be deducted at the bottom of her bill as "Total Grant remaining to be credited." If you have a "Notice of Financial Aid" showing a TOTAL GRANT that is not deducted, deduct it on the Bursar Worksheet after reading the Bursar sections below on TAP, Outside Awards, and Self Help.

Self Help

"Federal Work-Study" or "Barnard College Job" wages will not be deducted from your bill. Wages are paid directly to the student by paycheck for work performed during the term. They do not reduce your payment.

Housing/Meal Plans

All students (full time commuters and all campus residents) are required to enroll in a Barnard meal plan. By default, a meal charge will be added to your bill. If you wish to change your meal plan, calculate the difference in cost to pay to Bursar and enroll with Dining Services. After the fourth day of the semester, no change of meal plan is permitted for that semester.

Housing and meal charges (along with all other college charges for tuition and fees) must be paid prior to move-in. Students will present their receipts to Housing/Dining Services staff prior to being issued a room key or meal card. If the charge is incorrect or missing from the bill, please change your meal enrollment at my.barnard.edu and on the Bursar Worksheet and return it to Bursar with your payment.

Tuition Exemption

To avoid progressive late payment fees, make payment of the balance shown on your Barnard invoice by August 1 (fall semester) or December 1 (spring semester).

Submit the Bursar Worksheet to Barnard Bursar showing your deduction for the exempted amount by August 1 (fall semester) or December 1 (spring semester). Only tuition is covered (no fees, room, or board).

Columbia University (CU) tuition exemption authorization is available to CU employees at hr.columbia.edu. (Click Benefits --> CU Benefits Enrollment System, and login.) To avoid complications with registration, submit your approved Exemption Form to Barnard Bursar by August 1 (fall semester) or December 1 (spring semester).

Title IV Authorization

In order for Federal financial aid and loans to be credited toward all charges on the student account, return two Title IV Authorizations to Bursar. One is for the student, and the other for a parent PLUS loan borrowers. (They are both printed on the same page.) Without these signed documents, we will not be able to apply any federal aid received (including Stafford and PLUS loans) toward all charges assessed to your bursar account.

Federal Perkins and Barnard Loans

These loans will not appear as a credit on the bill until the student has signed a promissory note with Financial Aid. This promissory note is not the same as the Notice of Financial Aid or the promissory notes you may sign for Federal Stafford, Federal PLUS, or Tuition Management Systems (TMS). Perkins and Barnard Institutional Loan promissory notes are available from Financial Aid.

Federal Direct Stafford, Plus, and Other Loans

If you have completed your loan applications for the year and they have been processed by Financial Aid, we have already extended credit for any estimated pending loans at the bottom of your invoice. This amount is based on the loans for which you applied this year. It reflects the estimated net amount of your loan minus your lender’s fee.

If you applied for a Federal Direct Loan and estimated loan(s) are not already deducted at the bottom of your bill, you may deduct them on the Bursar Worksheet minus a Federal Direct Loan origination fee that is charged by the US government. To calculate the amount the College will receive from your loan, for Federal Direct Stafford Student Loans, multiply the loan amount by .98931. For Federal Direct PLUS (Parent Loans), multiply the loan amount by .95724.

TAP

If the student is a New York State resident taking at least 12 credits this semester and has applied for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the award is already included in her TOTAL GRANT. If she does not have a TOTAL GRANT, send Bursar your NYS TAP award certificate each semester and the Bursar Worksheet showing the deduction for TAP.

Outside Awards

If you have already advised Financial Aid of any outside awards you expect to receive, these are already included in the TOTAL GRANT amount, if any, on your invoice. However, if you have not advised Financial Aid of an outside award, do NOT deduct it without first speaking with Financial Aid at (212) 854-2154; follow their instructions. Send your outside award documentation to both Financial Aid and Bursar.

Third Party Payment

If a third party (e.g. parent’s employer) pays any part of the student's bill, return the Bursar Worksheet with authorization for billing the third party to the Bursar before the payment deadline.

Payment Plan

Barnard’s payment plan is administered by a third party, Tuition Management Systems (TMS) at barnard.afford.com. There is a $50 fee each semester for using the service. Note that TMS will not adjust the amount you budget without specific instructions from you. If your student account still shows a balance outstanding after the deduction for TMS, your plan does not cover all charges.

By August 1 (fall semester) and December 1 (spring semester), send Bursar your payment for any remaining "Balance Due" on your Barnard invoice to avoid Barnard's late payment fee. If your TMS plan is not deducted on Barnard’s bill, use the Bursar Worksheet to deduct it, and submit the Worksheet to Bursar before the payment deadline, or add a late payment fee. Progressive late payment fees begin at $75 and increase by $10 weekly. If you need to increase your semester payment plan amount, make the adjustment online with TMS prior to Barnard's payment deadline in order to avoid late fees.

JTS Dual Degree Program

Students enrolled in the Barnard/Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) dual degree program pay each institution separately. If you are expecting a refund from JTS, please contact our office to arrange a payment plan. If you wish to forward a credit balance from your Barnard account to JTS, please complete a Student Refund Request form.